David de Gea signs | Confirmed

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Didn't have a whole lot to do, but he does seem very apt with the ball at his feet as others have described him.
 
Lynk said:
Describe as I hold my cock in hand.
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It was banks-esque perhaps banks-lite he seemed to have dived early but as the ball looks to be going in he gets his hand to it - more of a great stretching dive than a huge dive.
 
It was a top save and as the commentator pointed out; it showed he has good concentration as he'd basically been standing around for the prior 20 minutes.
 
I need to see the replay. However, I initially thought he should have come out and claimed/punched the ball away. Quality save mind.
 
Sultan said:
I need to see the replay. However, I initially thought he should have come out and claimed/punched the ball away. Quality save mind.
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That is a close call - but as the initial header was beyond the six yard box there is no guarantee he would have reached it - these close calls of whther you stay or go are the differences between excellent and great keepers.
 
Sultan said:
I need to see the replay. However, I initially thought he should have come out and claimed/punched the ball away. Quality save mind.
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Yep. Basically, it's the sort of save that Edwin never needed to make because he never made the error in the first place. Good save though and he's young and learning.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
To be honest, I prefer keepers that play the percentages and only come to claim the ball if they're absolutely certain they can claim it. Nothing destabilises a defence like a keeper that's prone to suicidal rushes from his line.
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Yeah, I'd agree with that. He seems to be happy to stay on his line and let his defenders deal with the threat, and he'll be in position to react to a header, loose ball etc.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
To be honest, I prefer keepers that play the percentages and only come to claim the ball if they're absolutely certain they can claim it. Nothing destabilises a defence like a keeper that's prone to suicidal rushes from his line.
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That's sometimes true its also destabilising if your goalkeeper never comes for it e.g. Kuzzie. There are moments where defenders are on the back foot and they need their keeper to come through the crowd and get a fist on it. We need more than a shot stopper. In the Premier League crosses are far more common than they are in Spain and if they keep flying in without your goalkeeper making a mark rest assured they'll be increasingly attacked.
 
datura said:
Yeah, I'd agree with that. He seems to be happy to stay on his line and let his defenders deal with the threat, and he'll be in position to react to a header, loose ball etc.
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With a defence of our quality in front of him I've no objections to him doing this
 
Plus, he'll have to adjust to getting a lot less protection from referees than he's used to. The less crowd scenes he gets involved in the better. Until he's feeling a lot more settled and confident anyway.

I really like the look of him tbh. He just exudes calm. Got ice in his veins. Hopefully get to see him under a bit more pressure before the tournament's finished.
 
#07 said:
That's sometimes true its also destabilising if your goalkeeper never comes for it e.g. Kuzzie. There are moments where defenders are on the back foot and they need their keeper to come through the crowd and get a fist on it. We need more than a shot stopper. In the Premier League crosses are far more common than they are in Spain and if they keep flying in without your goalkeeper making a mark rest assured they'll be increasingly attacked.
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"Kuzzie" was exactly the keeper I was thinking about when I mentioned crazy rushes from the line. He gets caught between stick and twist constantly. Very indecisive.

Shay Given is probably the most extrem version of a keeper who stays rooted to his lone and he's had a very decent PL career. Hopefully De Gea will be a bit more adventurous, though. Eventually.
 
#07 said:
That's sometimes true its also destabilising if your goalkeeper never comes for it e.g. Kuzzie. There are moments where defenders are on the back foot and they need their keeper to come through the crowd and get a fist on it. We need more than a shot stopper. In the Premier League crosses are far more common than they are in Spain and if they keep flying in without your goalkeeper making a mark rest assured they'll be increasingly attacked.
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I've been analysing goalkeepers' aerial performance in the Bundesliga (stylistically similar to the Premier League) the last few days and I think some of the numbers I have come up with would surprise many. For example, even though teams face 20.5 crosses per 90 minutes on average, the goalkeeper, on average, deals with only 10% of them. Even the absolute best goalkeepers (i.e. Neuer) deal with only 15%. Even with crosses into the six yard area the average goalkeeper deals with only 32% of them. There is also an issue with just how valuable being good (or even elite) in the air actually is and the balance between preventing more shots on target by being more active in the air vs the resultant decrease in save percentage. I hope to have a more in depth post about it up in the next few days.
 
letranger0 said:
I've been analysing goalkeepers' aerial performance in the Bundesliga (stylistically similar to the Premier League) the last few days and I think some of the numbers I have come up with would surprise many. For example, even though teams face 20.5 crosses per 90 minutes on average, the goalkeeper, on average, deals with only 10% of them. Even the absolute best goalkeepers (i.e. Neuer) deal with only 15%. Even with crosses into the six yard area the average goalkeeper deals with only 32% of them. There is also an issue with just how valuable being good (or even elite) in the air actually is and the balance between preventing more shots on target by being more active in the air vs the resultant decrease in save percentage. I hope to have a more in depth post about it up in the next few days.
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Interesting. Thanks
Looking forward to it!
 
The thing about crosses and balls into the box is that its the defenders job first and foremost to cut it out before the GK intervenes.

Good centrebacks one will cover the near post and the other will cover the ball over his head and the GK will pick up the ball where he can.

I've been a GK behind some excellent defenders and some poor ones. As a GK with top defenders you position accordingly knowing that more often you will stay on your line. With poor defenders I was far more active in being a sweeper and coming out for crosses.

One thing De Gea needs to show is that when he does come for a cross he catches the ball rather than the tactics I see a lot of Spanish keepers using which is to punch it away.
 
Meanwhile, Spanish goal-keeping prodigy David De Gea has revealed his joy at being lined up by Manchester United.

The Atletico Madrid ace, 20, is set for an £18m move to Old Trafford to replace Edwin van der Sar.

The Spain Under-21 international said he hopes to emulate the Dutch legend and play on until he is 40.

And he insisted he will be unfazed by the attention he and his pop star girlfriend Edurne will receive in England.

“I feel incredibly motivated by the fact that Manchester United are thinking about me,” De Gea said.

“I like the fact that they are considering me as a replacement for a goalkeeper of Edwin van der Sar’s calibre.

“I will need to keep on striving and working hard, as I am still at the outset of my career, and I still have much to do to reach his level.

“I hope I will still be playing when I am at his age.

“It is hard to look so far ahead, but it is something I want to do.

“I will need strength and good fortune, and I’ll have to look after my body well as football can eat you up.

“The fact that I could become one of the most expensive goalkeepers ever does not interest me. The value that really counts is what you do on the pitch.”
Daily Star: Simply The Best 7 Days A Week :: Football :: Sir Alex Ferguson plans to snatch Charlie Adam
 
Was just lookin on BBC and I found this regarding Goalkeeper transfers. Its quite clear that good/great Keepers dont move that often at all!

Gianluigi Buffon - £32.6m
Angelo Peruzzi - £10.5m
Craig Gordon - £9m
Fabien Barthez - £7.8m
Gianluca Pagliuca - £7.5m
 
Red Hand Devil said:
Was just lookin on BBC and I found this regarding Goalkeeper transfers. Its quite clear that good/great Keepers dont move that often at all!

Gianluigi Buffon - £32.6m
Angelo Peruzzi - £10.5m
Craig Gordon - £9m
Fabien Barthez - £7.8m
Gianluca Pagliuca - £7.5m
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Plus Petr Cech - £7m
Pepe Reina - £6m
 
Diego Forlan expects his Atletico Madrid team-mate David de Gea to be a big hit at Manchester United - if he can adapt to life in England.

United are reported to have agreed an £18.9m fee for the keeper and Sir Alex Ferguson hopes to wrap up a deal soon.

Former United forward Forlan told BBC Sport: "David will become a top player because he has a lot of ability.

"But he's only just had his first full season as Atletico's number one and is a young guy with little experience."

Last month, Ferguson said he regarded De Gea as the natural replacement for Edwin van der Sar, who retired after United's Champions League final defeat by Barcelona, and admitted he had been tracking the Spaniard for "quite a while".

De Gea is currently playing for Spain at the European Under-21 Championships in Denmark, and says he wants to wait until the end of the tournament before signing a deal with United.

Forlan, 32, who played for United from 2002 to 2004, has been hugely impressed with De Gea since the Spaniard forced his way into Atletico's team towards the end of the 2009/10 season.

"There's no doubt that David will become a very, very good player, because he has the talent," Forlan said. "He is tall, strong on crosses, a good shot stopper and distributes the ball very well.

"I suppose he is similar to Van der Sar in a lot of ways. Even though he is very young, he gives a lot of confidence to his defenders and has a lot of talent."

Forlan joined United for £7.5m from Argentine side Independiente, but failed to cement a regular starting place at the club. He famously went 27 games before scoring for his new side and only hit the net 10 times in 63 games before moving to Villarreal.

He admitted he does have concerns that De Gea, who came through the youth ranks at Atletico, could become homesick in Manchester.

"You never know for sure whether a player will adapt to a new country until he gets there," the Uruguayan said. "It's true that I was also young when I joined United, just 22, but you can't compare our situations.

"I knew the language and had already left my country, having moved to Independiente when I was only 19. So it was not such a big step for me to go to United.

"David is from a little town outside Madrid and has been at Atletico since he was very young. He doesn't speak any languages other than Spanish. He is going over with his girlfriend and family though, which will help."

Forlan revealed that De Gea had been hungry for insights into life with the English champions.

"I told him that Manchester United is a great place to experience as a player and that I had a great time there," he added.

"The manager and staff are fantastic and the fans were always very supportive of me, even when I wasn't scoring. I made some good friends there and settled in well. Maybe the weather wasn't always what I wanted, but I had a great experience.

"David really wants to go to United, there's no question about that. He wants the challenge and he wants the experience. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world and not many players get the chance to play there."

BBC Sport - Diego Forlan cautious over David de Gea move to Man Utd
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I thought we were sure on here that he speaks English.. Also I don't think DDG will be too happy about this interview.. It pretty much confirms that he is coming to us..
 
"He is going over with his girlfriend and family..."

So this deal is done then.
 
The homesick point is a vital one.... his Girlfriend is a Spanish popstar, I just hope he settles.
 
"David really wants to go to United, there's no question about that. He wants the challenge and he wants the experience. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world and not many players get the chance to play there."

BBC Sport - Diego Forlan cautious over David de Gea move to Man Utd
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Also that last bit makes me feel all fuzzy inside.. After the last 2-3 seasons of signing players that SAF thought were of "Value" I had reduced myself to believing that we couldn't ever afford the greatest players again.. The fact that DDG wants to come to us and we can actually make it happen bring nothing but joy to me.. I have been rooting for this kid to come to us since almost forever.. If given the choice again to choose any keeper in the world I would still choose DDG every time!

This makes me double happy as years have gone by since we actually signed a player that I was dying to see at United.. The list isn't too long but I can name them.. I am sure most on here would agree with me too..

Roanldiinho('03), Essien('05), Torres, Macherano, Ribery(all '07) Benzema ('09) & finally Ozil('10).
 
Chirag said:
Roanldiinho('03), Essien('05), Torres, Macherano, Ribery(all '07) Benzema ('09) & finally Ozil('10).
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Ronaldinho and Essien for me, Ozil did interest but I couldn't see him here, the rest were just fanciful transfer muppetry.

Essien probably the one I've been more weed off about over the years. He would have been immense for us post-Keano.
 
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